Apple from the Tree
by Hopeakaarme
Summary: Sequel to Like Father, Like Son. Life is not easy to Snapes. Remus doesn't wake up, Hermione gets problems from her relatives, and Samantha's health causes worries. Also, a Dark threat looms just around the corner... SLASH SBSS RLKS. Discontinued.
1. A Lovely Summer Day

**Disclaimer:** I own any characters, spells, or objects not previously mentioned in the Harry Potter series, as well as the plot. Anything else is property of JKR.

**Pairings:** Sirius/Severus, Kingsley/Remus, Remy/Samantha, Harry/Hermione

**Warnings:** Slash (male/male relationships), original characters, AU (OotP and HBP do not apply to this universe), random plot twists. Occasional bad language, violence, and/or death may occur. Consider yourself warned.

**Summary:** The troubles of family Snape did not end at the death of Voldemort. Remus doesn't show any signs of waking from his coma, Hermione gets problems from her Wizarding relatives, and Samantha's health causes worries. Of course, the life in Hogwarts in general is far from normal, especially as a new Dark threat raises its ugly head.

**A/N:** This is a sequel to **Like Father, Like Son**, which is by far my most popular fic ever by any measures. While I'm writing this note, it has well over 14 900 hits, 400 reviews, and 100 favourite marks, and it is contained in 17 c2s. I'd like to thank my readers for all these, and present to you this second part of the story.

If you have not yet read Like Father, Like Son, do so. It will greatly help you understand the characters, situations, and relationships in this story. For instance, there is a Harry Potter in this story, but he is not the Boy Who Lived -- that title belongs to Remus Snape, formerly known as Harry Potter. Therefore, knowing the first part is essential to understanding this fic.

* * *

Apple from the Tree

First Chapter

A Lovely Summer Day

* * *

"Snape, catch!" called a cheerful voice. The teenager turned quickly around but was not fast enough to catch the beach ball thrown at him. The ball hit him on the chest and bounced into the water. 

"That's it, Potter!" he shouted in mock anger although he was all the time struggling against laughter.

"I'll have your hide for that!" Then he started to rush through the water towards Harry, who cackled evilly before starting to run away from him. The girls giggled and moved out of the way.

"Well, they do seem to be happy," Sirius commented from the balcony where he and Severus were standing. "I mean, even Harry is behaving like a little kid. Just look at those two!" He again glanced down at the beach and the teenagers there. Remy and Harry were trying to force each other under the water, and Hermione and Samantha were watching from the side, giggling in amusement.

"It is rather understandable," his husband replied. "After all, it is easier to pretend that everything is all sunny and bright than to admit the real problems. As long as he is like a child, he doesn't have to concentrate on his father's condition." His expression darkened for a moment at the mention of Remus.

On his side Sirius sighed. "At least Remus is still alive," he said quietly. "Although I can't help thinking that maybe it would be better if that wasn't the case." He stepped closer to the Slytherin.

Not saying a word, Severus wrapped his arms around his husband. Even though it had been quite some time and there was nothing wrong with Sirius anymore, the pain he'd felt when he thought he'd lost him still returned fresh from time to time. Especially eagerly it showed up whenever Remus was mentioned.

Although it was now the beginning of July and the summer holiday, the werewolf still hadn't shown any signs of waking up from his coma. Severus and Sirius had convinced Harry to stay with them, Remy, Hermione, and Samantha. The second Snape Manor, left to Severus by his uncle while his parents lived in the original one, had a beautiful garden and a wonderful beach, and was the perfect summer place for a few teenagers. Harry had eventually agreed, although he was intent on visiting his father regularly. This, of course, the Snapes wholeheartedly agreed with.

Sirius sighed then. "I'd better get going if I'm going to leave at all today," he said. "Look after the brats." Giving his husband a quick peck on the lips, he then disappeared inside. Severus, however, remained on the balcony for some time, still watching the teenagers' play.

* * *

Severus raised an eyebrow as he saw the four younger occupants of the manor coming down the stairs. They had all changed their swimwear to jeans and T-shirts. Hermione and Harry both had their hair on a ponytail, Remy on a braid, and Samantha on two pigtails. "Are you perhaps going to go somewhere?" the Potions Master inquired, interrupting their cheerful chatter. 

"Well, yes," Remy replied, shrugging a bit. "We thought we'd go to the town to get some ice-cream. Is there a problem with that?" He flashed a broad grin, for a moment looking exactly like his Dad. His facial features were indeed from Severus, making him resemble Harry more than most brothers resembled each other. However, his body was all the time developing more and more towards the muscular build of his carrier's. Whenever he smiled -- which was often nowadays, despite the worry about his "uncle" Remus -- he looked exactly like Sirius. The Snape smirk was still there, and the glare was just as effective as always when in use, but they didn't show up even nearly as frequently as they'd once used to.

"Of course there is no problem," Severus replied. "Just don't get into any trouble. And remember, no magic -- not even you, Harry. It's a Muggle village, and there are no excuses for breaking the law."

"Fine, Uncle Severus," replied the young man with a grin. "Is there anything else you'd like to warn us about? Remind us not to play on the road?" The others snickered at this behind their hands.

"Of course, Harry," Severus said calmly, not baffled by this smart-arse response. He was married to Sirius, after all. "And while you are at it, remember that girls have cooties. Stay away from them."

"Hey!" exclaimed both Hermione and Samantha. Then, however, they both laughed, following their equally amused boyfriends outside. The sound of their laughter and cheerful chatter lingered for a moment after their departure, teasing Severus's ears. For a moment, he hesitated, not sure about his decision.

Then, however, he went to the open window and leant outside. "Stop right there, brats!" he shouted. "I'm coming with you as soon as I get some Muggle clothes on... And yes, Remy, I _do_ have Muggle clothes."

Miraculously there were no audible protests. There wasn't even a single comment when he emerged from the house in a T-shirt and jeans. Severus did feel a bit self-conscious about his short-sleeved shirt, but he constantly reminded himself that there was no need for such a feeling. After all, he was no more carrying Voldemort's mark -- and anyway, not everybody could be as muscular as Sirius. And his arms weren't skinny, they were just _slender_. If they had been skinny, Remy would have most certainly told him so.

"What is this, Father?" asked the teenager instead of commenting on his appearance. "Don't you trust us enough to go around by ourselves?" He even managed a small pout, fluttering his eyes.

"It's not you that I don't trust," Severus replied dryly. "However, as you should well know, there are still some stray Death Eaters running about, ones that would be more than happy to take down all of you. Harry hardly can protect you all by himself, and if any of you others have a wand with them, I'll be very upset. Therefore, it's better that I'm keeping an eye on you." After a momentary pause, he then added, "And besides, nobody has ever said that I'm not allowed to eat some ice-cream every now and then, too."

At that, everybody laughed. However, Severus noted a small difference in the tones of laughter. Very smoothly he added, "I will treat every minor without a wand to an ice-cream." And then, without another word, he drew and pointed his own wand and said, "_Expelliarmus_." Catching the wands flying towards him and returning Harry his, he pocketed the other two and said calmly, "Ice-cream, Samantha."

Hermione and Remy both pouted, while Samantha snickered and Harry laughed at them both. Severus merely smirked, not even bothering to mention that neither of them had any legal reason to carry a wand.

They continued their way to the small Muggle village with happy chatter and laughter echoing around. The day was so lovely that none of them wanted to spoil it by being on a dark mood. Even Severus found his moods lifted by the teenagers' incessant cheerfulness. Had he been at school and heard the students making noise in such a way, he would have most probably been just annoyed. Here, however, he didn't have to carry the stress of work, and could instead just relax. Therefore, even this noise didn't irritate him, rather made him want to join in, like he did, occasionally.

"Where's Dad, anyway?" asked Remy suddenly, shaking him out of his thoughts. "I've only seen him from the distance after breakfast. He didn't mention anything about going anywhere, either."

"Sirius? He went over to the Ministry to take care of some things," Severus replied. "You see, he has to present a clean bill of health to be able to teach next year, and he wanted to get it out of the way before he forgets." At the doubtful glances he got from them, he corrected, "Well, okay. So I told him to get it out of the way before he forgets. But let's just say that my wish is his will so my first statement still stands, right?" He flashed a smirk at his younger companions, who all laughed at that.

"Who is going to teach DADA next year, anyway? Will Kingsley continue to teach it?" asked Samantha. "Assuming that Remus doesn't wake up before then, of course," she then added quietly.

"Yes, I do believe Kingsley is going to continue on his post," Severus replied, "_if_ Remus doesn't wake up before then." Remus would wake up, of course. He had to.

"Actually, that's not true," Harry announced lightly. "_I_ am going to be the new DADA teacher."

"What!" exclaimed Remy. "You must be kidding! Substituting in Charms is one thing, but this..."

"Tsk, tsk, dear cousin," the golden-haired young man said teasingly. "I am only going to be a substitute until Father wakes up. Therefore, I do not have to be a DADA Master; the Headmaster's evaluation of my skills is quite enough to make me qualified for the temporary post."

"What about student-teacher relationships?" Remy pressed on. "Surely you'll get trouble for that!"

"Oh, no," Harry replied. "As long as the student is over the age of consent, there is no rule in the Hogwarts rule book that would prohibit that." At this, he flashed a grin at Hermione. "Kingsley is going to teach, though," the pony-tailed wizard added, "but not DADA." At the questioning gazes of the others, he continued, "And as for Kingsley, well... the Headmaster is going to start an Auror Education class. It's meant for those who are going to become Aurors or are simply interested in it."

"Well, trust Albus to come up with something like that," huffed Severus. "I do hope that doesn't interfere with the students' other studies, though." At that, he turned to look at Hermione and Remy. "While we are at the topic," he said, "just what are you two going to do with your lives, anyway?"

"That depends on my OWL results, of course," Remy replied. "Originally I was going to become a Potions Master like you, but now I'm considering becoming an Auror and just specializing on Potions. That would mean a narrower part of the field of Potions, yes, but otherwise the work'd be even more exciting."

Severus shrugged. "Whatever suits you," he said. "Of course I'm glad that you are working on Potions, but I do not require that of you. Neither your dad nor I are going to place any expectations on you. As long as you do your best on whatever it is you choose to do, nothing else matters to us."

"Really?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow. "What if I want to become the world's greatest Dark Lord?"

"Well, let's say, 'whatever you choose to do'... within the boundaries of law and good taste," his father responded dryly. "And yes, that does mean that you cannot become a strip tease dancer."

"And how exactly are you going to stop me if I do decide to become that?" the darkhaired young wizard asked, a smirk on his lips. Oh, yes, he was indeed a dangerous mix of his both parents.

"Then I am going to exploit an ancient law," Severus told him calmly. "It is indeed ancient and probably long forgotten, but it does still have full power. If a child has been adopted and then returned to their original family, their biological parents can, should they choose to, extend their time of custody over the child. At maximum they can stay as the child's legal guardians exactly as much time after their coming of age as the child spent adopted. So, unless you want to be grounded until you turn thirty-two, you stay put."

"Ouch," Hermione commented with a tiny smirk. Then she smiled happily. "I am going to become a mediwitch," she announced. "I'm heading more to the research side of the field, though."

"Well, that is certainly not surprising," Severus commented, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "It is much easier to imagine you looking for new cures for some unknown diseases than helping some disabled patient to their bed. And this is meant as a compliment, nothing else," he added calmly as the girl looked at him.

"Does it really matter right now?" asked Samantha lightly. "Unless you managed to miss it, we're almost at the village now. And I do believe that somebody owes me an ice-cream!"

It was quite some time and several ice-creams later that the party started to return to the Manor, the younger ones still laughing and Severus listening to their chatter with a faint smirk on his lips. Remy had also earned himself a free ice-cream, courtesy of Harry. His older... well, relative had dared him to go around as a skunk in exchange for a portion. The darkhaired boy, of course, had done that, and the very wary salesman had watched in fascination as a spotted skunk had neatly eaten ice-cream seated on a small girl's lap. The girl had even talked to her pet -- and, which was even more astonishing, the pet had seemed to not only understand but also answer, in a way.

Now, however, he was again in human form, thanks to the abandoned alley that he had used to change into his animal form in the first place, providing him with some privacy from the prying Muggle eyes. If possible, he was the one laughing loudest and most. "Thanks for the ice-cream, Harry," he said cheerfully, winking at the other young wizard. "It was truly delicious. Or was that because of my form?"

"Maybe you should eat as an animal more often," Samantha suggested lightly. "Not that I was too fond on skunks in general, no, but you _are_ very cute in skunk form. Not to mention very pettable."

"Is that even a word?" giggled Hermione. "Hey, Harry! Have you ever tested your Animagus form?"

The ponytailed young man looked down at her, looking surprised. "Do you mean I haven't told you?" he asked, sounding genuinely astonished. "I'm already an Animagus! I _am_ James Potter's son, after all," he then added as an afterthought. "There's really no way he could've let me grow up without learning it."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Hermione. "How come you have never told me about that! Oh, and Samantha's almost got it, too. Am I truly going to be the last one to master the transformation? Why me?"

"I think it does some good for you to not be perfect in everything," Remy commented, serious for once, then, however, he again grinned. "And now, Harry... What exactly is your animal form?"

* * *

Sirius frowned as he pushed the door open only to find the hall unlit and quiet. "Severus?" he called out. "Hey, Severus, brats, where are you?" His hand moved towards his wand as he took a step forward. 

No matter how many times he called out, he didn't get any response. Searching through all the rooms in the first floor he found none of the other inhabitants of the manor, not even a single house-elf. Growing more worried by every passing moment, he finally headed towards the stairway, now his wand at ready. Something was definitely wrong now, and he was going to be prepared.

Suddenly, however, his wand flew out of his hand and up the stairs. Turning his startled gaze to the stairs, he didn't see a single human in the dim stairway. Instead, he saw a pair of glowing eyes attached to an unclear, light form. And then, that form leapt forward, baring sharp fangs as it reached for his throat.

The next second Sirius fell on his back, a huge animal pinning him down to the floor. The large beast growled, then lowered its head and... licked his face.

Hey, wait a minute here.

"Really, my dear," he heard Severus's dry voice from the stairs, and the next moment, the lights were on. "You truly let yourself be disarmed dangerously easily. If we truly had been Death Eaters, you'd be dead by now." Behind him were Remy, Samantha, and Hermione, all snickering at him.

"But... What..." Sirius was confused for a moment, but then realization hit him. "Harry!" he exclaimed, pushing the animal off himself. The huge golden cougar moved aside without a complaint, then transformed into a grinning young wizard. "Since when have you been an Animagus?"

"Since I learnt to do it, of course," the younger man replied with a broad smirk. "I don't know when, exactly; when the Adoption Charm was lifted, I was able to transform."

"James's son. Of course," muttered Sirius. "I really should have expected that."

"But you didn't," Remy said cheerfully. "Now, get up. The house-elves will freak if nobody goes to eat!"

They all happily made their way towards the dining room. However, although nobody noticed the difference, Sirius was not quite as cheerful as everybody else.

* * *

**A/N:** Let's keep up the traditions... The not-happenings of the last story are included in the list, as well as some "interesting" suggestions from my eldest little brother. Remember, the first one to guess the right three will get the next chapter dedicated to themselves. 

Three of the following will NOT happen during this story:  
Samantha starts weakening  
Hermione loses somebody very close to her  
Remy ensures Samantha will not die of her illness  
Samantha is told she only has a year left at best  
Sirius sings a love song to Severus in the middle of the Great Hall  
Remus is declared a lost case  
Neville is in love with a basilisk  
A cactus with a flower-patterned sombrero returns to Hogwarts  
Hermione gets married  
Sirius pulls a prank  
Weasley tries to sabotage Remy's potion  
A group of commando sheep appears on the roof of Hogwarts  
Remy and Samantha's first time  
Hermione completes her Animagus transformation on a very inappropriate moment  
Severus faces his worst fear  
Voldemort is not dead  
Remus wakes up  
Samantha dies  
Remy gets a little sister  
Remy gets a little brother  
Hermione skips a lesson  
The Student-Eating Horrid Monster of Ravenclaw Tower makes a comeback  
Severus becomes a Potter again  
Carnivorous squirrels cause problems at Hogwarts  
Samantha faints in class  
Lucius Malfoy isn't really evil  
Narcissa Malfoy isn't really evil  
Draco Malfoy isn't really evil  
Severus almost dies in a Potions accident


	2. Summer Dream and Nightmare

**Disclaimer:** I own any characters, spells, or objects not previously mentioned in the Harry Potter series, as well as the plot. Anything else is property of JKR.

**A/N: Like Father, Like Son** has now got past 16 600 hits. I thank you all for that!

Some of you actually noticed Sirius's reaction to the prank. Well done! You'll see the reason in this chapter. Yeah, it's time to start with the angst. You didn't seriously expect me to stick to pure fluff much longer, did you?

* * *

Apple from the Tree

Second Chapter

Summer Dream and Nightmare

* * *

Sirius frowned as he pushed the door open only to find the hall unlit and quiet. "Severus?" he called out. "Hey, Severus, brats, where are you?" His hand moved towards his wand as he took a step forward. 

No matter how many times he called out, he didn't get any response. Warily the darkhaired wizard walked further into the house. His wand at ready, he paused at the door of the living room they used most, the one that also held the stairs leading upstairs. Then, gathering his courage, he slowly opened the door.

At first he couldn't see anything. The curtains were drawn, blocking any light coming from the outside, and there were no lights on. "_Lumos_," he whispered, wanting to see whatever was lurking in the darkness. As a bright light lit around the tip of his wand, illuminating his surroundings, he took a glance around. Then, he gasped in horror as his eyes met the most gruesome sight.

It was Hermione. Or, rather, what had once been Hermione. Now it was merely a mess of torn flesh and blood, only vaguely resembling anything of a human origin. Only her head was left, lying in the middle of all this, her mouth opened in an endless scream and her eyes wide with horror. Heroically fighting the strong urge to throw up anything and everything that resided in his stomach at the moment, Sirius staggered a few steps back, wondering what could have caused such a thing. A feeling of absolute horror was starting to crawl through him as he looked at what was left of his son's best friend.

Now even more wary, he decided to check the attached study. With great care he went around Hermione's bloody remains to the door on the opposite side of the room. Opening it with caution, he then breathed a sigh of relief as the light of his wand didn't reveal another horror scene.

That is, until he saw a hand lying on the floor, attached to something -- or someone -- behind the desk. A puddle of blood was surrounding the dark appendage, spreading even further on the floor. Slowly going around the desk, he drew a sharp breath as he saw the person behind it. Kingsley lay there, lifeless, blood pooling around his slit wrists. On the floor next to him Sirius saw a folded piece of parchment. Reaching for it with shaking hands, he swallowed as he unfolded what he supposed was a suicide note.

"_Poppy Pomfrey just owled me_," the note read. "_Remus slipped from coma to death this morning. I could not bear living anymore, knowing that it was me who killed him. Therefore, I decided to follow him. I hope you will not hate me. -- Kingsley_"

The note fell from Sirius' suddenly trembling fingers as he opened his mouth, no sound coming out. Then he turned around, rushing out of the room. Remus was dead. Kingsley was dead. Hermione was dead, too -- and whatever had caused her death was most probably still somewhere in the house, as were the rest of his family and friends. All the time afraid of what he'd see next, he hurried upstairs.

There he encountered a couple of empty rooms. Just as he was beginning to calm down as much as he could with the images of dead Hermione and Kingsley still burned in his mind, however, he came upon another horror. Opening yet another door, he saw Harry lying on the floor, bloody and torn. The young wizard was at least still mostly intact, unlike his girlfriend, but he was very obviously dead. Sirius's stomach all but disappeared at the sight. Fighting against the nausea and the ever growing horror, he fled.

Even though he was at least somehow mentally prepared for what came next, it still startled him when he tumbled over it. Literally. Running around a corner, he almost fell over as he tripped over something. Regaining his balance just before he went crashing to the ground, the Grim Animagus quickly turned around to see what he had tripped over. He very nearly cried out aloud as he saw Samantha's tiny body lying there, just as lifeless as everybody else he had encountered before that.

"She is dead," came a quiet voice from behind him. Turning around as quickly as he could, Sirius saw Remy lying where he could have sworn had just moments before been just the empty floor of the corridor. "That beast killed her... Father chased it down to the room in the end of the corridor. I don't know what happened then." Remy lay on the floor, blood seeping from numerous deep wounds. It was obvious that he wouldn't live long anymore; in fact, it was a miracle that he was still alive.

Wondering just how his legs still obeyed him, Sirius hurried to his son's side. Kneeling down next to the boy he then drew the bloodied teen into his arms, cradling him close to his chest. "Remy," he said quietly.

"I tried to save her, Dad," Remy whispered, "I tried to save them _all_... I did everything I could, Dad. But it was not enough. She is dead... They are dead, all of them... And I... I failed." A bitter smile crossed the teen's lips as he continued, "You must be disappointed in me, Dad. I failed to protect them... protect her."

"No, Remy, I'm not disappointed," Sirius muttered, tears pooling in his eyes as he wiped away a strand of hair from his son's face. The hair was sticky with sweat and blood. "You could never disappoint me."

"I could, too..." the boy whispered, his eyes now half closed. Then, they slid fully closed. "Bye, Dad..."

"Goodbye, my son," was all the wizard could say now, almost choking on the words. "Goodbye... I love you, Remy." He then settled the now limp body onto the floor and stumbled to his feet. Looking down for a moment, he took in all details, from the finest strand of ink-black hair to the tiniest smear of blood on the pale skin. Then, with a deep ache in his chest, he slowly turned around.

The room in the end of the corridor was empty. This both relieved and horrified him; he was relieved because no new horror was there for him to face, horrified because he didn't know if he could even bear opening another door. He did open the next door, though... or at least he pressed the handle. It took him a long time to actually push the door open and slowly, very slowly step into the room.

The beast was indeed there. It was huge, with fangs and claws rivalling those of any dragon Sirius had ever seen. Its fur was dark red with the blood of both the beast itself and its victims. Now, however, it was dead. And next to the beast, Sirius saw somebody else. Somebody he had feared seeing all the time.

Even usually pale, Severus's face was white like a sheet now. His hair, which Sirius had so enjoyed running his fingers through, was now a tangled mess, and his black robes had been torn. His stomach was a simple mess; apparently the beast had run its paw right through him. However, against all odds, he was alive.

"...Sirius?" the other wizard whispered. "I killed it, Sirius... It's now just as dead as the children. I couldn't save them, I failed them, but I could at least have revenge for them." He then coughed up blood.

Like with Remy, Sirius quickly went to his husband's side, gathering the slender body into his arms. Severus felt awfully light there in his embrace, awfully light and fragile. "Be quiet, Severus," he whispered hoarsely, holding his beloved in slightly trembling arms. "Don't waste your strength in speaking."

"It's no use, Sirius," protested the other man, leaning his head against Sirius's shoulder. "I'll die anyway. And I deserve to die for not being able to save them... to save the children. Not only them, but I failed my friends, I failed James, and Remus... and you." A sad, slightly bitter smile curled the thin lips. A few drops of blood escaped the corner of Severus's mouth, leaving a crimson trail on the pale skin.

"You didn't fail anybody, love," was Sirius' response. "You did everything you could, I know that. Now, don't give up fighting. You'll be all right, I know that." His mind screamed against that, his whole being screamed at him for lying so, telling him that Severus would die. However, his heart refused to listen.

Now the ghost of a smile was in genuine amusement. "Ever... denying it, aren't you?" whispered the Potions Master. Then, his eyes started to slowly slide closed.

"Don't close your eyes, Severus," Sirius pleaded, remembering all too well the moment of absolute horror when Remy had done that, never opening them again. "Look at me, Severus, love. Please just... look."

Severus did so, his eyes staying half open, his lips still curled into a tiny smirk. Then, however, the light in the onyx depths disappeared, and their intent gaze turned into an empty stare. For a moment Sirius still just held the head, looking into the dark eyes, hoping to see at least some sign of life in them. Then, however, he reached out a trembling hand, slowly closing the eyes he had begged to stay open just moments earlier.

And at that moment, his heart finally shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, never to be put together again. Unable to do anything else, Sirius screamed.

And he screamed.

* * *

Severus shot up in the bed he shared with his husband as a horrible scream tore him from his slumber. His eyes darting around to find the source of the sound, he found to his horror Sirius sitting on the bed, sweaty and trembling, screaming from the top of his lungs. Immediately he reached out to grasp his husband, drawing the still screaming man into a warm embrace. Holding tightly the trembling wizard, he started to talk to Sirius, not saying anything sensible but hoping to soothe the obviously horrified man's mind. Little by little the screaming subsided, until finally Sirius just sat there in the circle of his arms, still trembling. 

"Calm down, love," Severus whispered, tightening his embrace for a moment to reassure his husband that he was safe and secure now, no matter what the horrors of his dream had been. "Everything is all right. I am here, and I'll make sure nothing bad happens. Just calm down now, Sirius."

"But... but you weren't there," muttered Sirius. "Or, you were, but you went away. You died, Severus, you died right there in my arms! And I could do nothing to help you -- or anybody else! _Everyone_ died! Remus died, and Kingsley killed himself, and some fucking monster killed you and all the children!

"Merlin," mumbled the Potions Master under his breath, then continued with a gentle tone, "Calm down, Sirius. I am alive, and so is everybody else. I'm here, the children are all sleeping, Kingsley is wherever he is and Remus is preparing to wake up. Nobody is dead, and there are no monsters around to kill anybody. Just what triggered you to have this nightmare now, anyway? You never had any while Voldemort was around. So why now, when he has been disposed of and we can finally be at peace?"

"I've had this for Merlin knows how long," confessed the Grim Animagus with a sigh. "For over a year now... every few nights at least, every night at worst times. The exact events differ, but the basic is the same... Everyone is dead, and I wasn't there to help them. I've never screamed before, though... or at least not loudly enough to wake you," he added then. "Usually I remember the Silencing Charms."

"You hid that from me?" asked Severus sharply. "Sirius! What on Earth will I do with you?"

However, his anger disappeared as soon as Sirius turned towards him and he saw the other man's eyes, so full of pain and silent fear. "Hold me?" Sirius asked in response to Severus's words.

"You don't need to ask that," muttered Severus. Never letting go of his husband, he slowly lay himself back down on the bed, drawing Sirius down with him. For a moment they just lay there, Sirius wrapped in Severus's arms, neither saying anything. Then, however, Severus said, "Tell me about it."

And Sirius told. While he did so, Severus began to understand something. Their supposedly innocent prank must have reminded Sirius about his nightmare -- the quiet, dark house, then the unfamiliar beast. Unknowingly he, along with the others, had caused great pain to the one he loved most. Deep regret filled his heart and he silently vowed not to try to scare Sirius, or anybody else, ever again. The one moment he had thought he'd lost his husband after Voldemort's downfall had definitely been the most horrifying moment in his life. But to first repeatedly feel that fear in his dreams, and then, knowing very well that he was awake, to start to fear that your worst nightmares have come true... The mere prospect of losing a loved one was too terrible to even think about, leave alone experience. And Sirius, his dear Sirius...

"I'm sorry," he whispered as Sirius finally was finished with his story. "I'm sorry for going along with the kids when they planned that prank... and I'm sorry for not stopping them altogether."

"Don't be," Sirius sighed. "You couldn't have known that it would remind me of a nightmare." Turning around inside the comforting circle of Severus' arms, he gave his husband a weak smile. "I'll be okay."

And Severus, wordlessly tightening his embrace, could only hope that Sirius was telling the truth.

* * *

Samantha laughed as she emerged from the water, shaking her head, sending droplets of water flying everywhere. Nobody minded this, if they even noticed it; they were all soaked anyway. This time even the adults had decided to join them -- well, join and join. Sirius was indeed in the water, splashing and laughing and yelling more than any of the teens. Severus, however, merely sat on the beach, seemingly too bored alone in the house to resist the temptation of their company, or at least their voices around him. At the moment the pale man was sitting well away from the water, reading a Potions magazine. Every now and then he casted a glance at the five playing people, shook his head at their antics, and continued reading. Sarlass lay next to him, enjoying the heat. The snake much preferred the hot sand to the cool water. Her deep blue scales glittered in the sun as if trying to outdo the blue sky and water. 

A shout drew her attention to her friends. Remy and Sirius were currently in the middle of a fierce water fight, while Hermione and Harry were throwing the ball at each other. As nobody was at the moment giving her any attention, she then allowed her eyes to rest on her boyfriend for a bit.

Her eyes travelled to his back. There, in the middle of tanned skin and muscles, right next to the ink-black line of his long, thick braid, she saw a white scar. A scar he had received because of her, while protecting her from the results of her own stupidity. This thought made her flinch a bit. Whatever had she ever done for Remy, aside from causing him trouble? Nothing. Nothing good at all.

Suddenly, a ball hit her in the back. "Oi, Samantha!" Hermione called out. "Do wake up, will you?"

Samantha flushed a bit as everybody turned to look at her. "Sorry," she muttered. "I was just distracted."

"Well, that's pretty understandable," Harry said, smirking suggestively at her. "After all, which girl could ever resist looking at her boyfriend's practically bare backside?"

Now, the tiny girl blushed even further, especially as Remy raised an amused eyebrow. "It's not that!" she exclaimed desperately. "I wasn't looking at his behind! Just... his scar..." Her voice trailed off.

The tiny smirk that had appeared on Remy's face at Harry's statement left as quickly as it had come, his expression softening. "Aww, you have no reason to feel guilty about it, you know, Samantha," he commented lightly. "It was entirely my own fault for not getting out of the way quickly enough." He then stepped forward and drew his girlfriend into an embrace. She couldn't help but blush as her chest was pressed against Remy's, only the thin layer of her swimsuit separating them.

"Get a room, you two," chuckled Sirius. "Or... maybe not. So, hands off, Remy!" He caught the beach ball that had just moments earlier hit Samantha and threw it at his son. "That's getting indecent!"

Then Remy dropped Samantha into the water, turning towards his carrier with a growl on his lips. The others just laughed, all hurrying away from him as he started to splash water into every direction. Shrieks of laughter echoed over the water's surface as they were soon all involved in a big water fight that knew neither rules nor boundaries. Severus glanced at them, snapping his tongue with something between frustration and reluctant approval, then slid his sunglasses over his eyes again and continued reading the magazine. However, as the beach ball was thrown at him, he put the magazine aside and ran towards the water in his ink-black swimming trunks that were definitely _not_ pink, thank-you-very-much.

And, as they were all laughing -- yes, even Severus, although his laughter was closer to an evil cackle as he managed to pull Sirius beneath the surface -- and happy and _alive_, it was easy to forget their fears for a little while. Just as easy it was to forget their friend, lying quietly on a bed in the Hogwarts Infirmary, and the fact that not all Death Eaters had been caught and the free ones were after them.

However, all too soon it would be the time to remember.

* * *

**A/N:** There haven't been correct guesses yet... In fact, there haven't been many guesses at all. What's wrong? I didn't make them too hard, did I? Well, here's a hint: At least one of my little brother's suggestions (commando sheep, the sombrero-clad cactus, carnivorous squirrels, and Neville's little crush) will show up in this story. Well, obviously, as only three of the options won't... Okay, so we'll see at least two of them (maybe even three, or all four. I'm not telling anything more!). Happy now? Yes? Then, try to guess! It's no fun if you don't! 

Three of the following will NOT happen during this story:  
Samantha starts weakening  
_ Hermione loses somebody very close to her_  
Remy ensures Samantha will not die of her illness  
Samantha is told she only has a year left at best  
Sirius sings a love song to Severus in the middle of the Great Hall  
Remus is declared a lost case  
Neville is in love with a basilisk  
A cactus with a flower-patterned sombrero returns to Hogwarts  
Hermione gets married  
Sirius pulls a prank  
Weasley tries to sabotage Remy's potion  
A group of commando sheep appears on the roof of Hogwarts  
Remy and Samantha's first time  
Hermione completes her Animagus transformation on a very inappropriate moment  
Severus faces his worst fear  
Voldemort is not dead  
Remus wakes up  
Samantha dies  
Remy gets a little sister  
Remy gets a little brother  
Hermione skips a lesson  
The Student-Eating Horrid Monster of Ravenclaw Tower makes a comeback  
Severus becomes a Potter again  
Carnivorous squirrels cause problems at Hogwarts  
Samantha faints in class  
Lucius Malfoy isn't really evil  
Narcissa Malfoy isn't really evil  
Draco Malfoy isn't really evil  
Severus almost dies in a Potions accident


	3. Horrifying News

**Disclaimer:** I own any characters, spells, or objects not previously mentioned in the Harry Potter series, as well as the plot. Anything else is property of JKR.

**A/N:** Yes, I actually updated. Can you believe it?**  
**

* * *

Apple from the Tree

Third Chapter

Horrifying News

* * *

Remy glanced over his Father's shoulder at the Daily Prophet. "Anything interesting there?" he asked. 

"Not to me," Severus replied dryly. "However, you might find some interest in this." He flipped a couple of pages, then held the paper up for Remy to see. "There, on the left."

"Wow!" exclaimed the boy, a wide grin on his face. "You're right, Father. That's what I call interesting!"

"What is it?" asked Samantha curiously. "What's so exciting now?"

"Look!" Taking the paper from Severus' hands -- well, he had said it wasn't interesting anyway -- he turned it around for the others to see. "See what Lucius Malfoy has?"

"That's -- that's a lot of snakes," Hermione stated after a moment's pause. "How many of them does he have?" She, like everybody else, looked at the picture of her oh-so-dear uncle. Malfoy stood in a room apparently full of snakes, one of them held rather fondly in his hands, while another was hanging around his neck like a twisted necklace, its head caressing his cheek.

"Three hundred and ninety-six, it says there," Samantha read from the article, a grin on her lips. "What does he do with them all? Does he collect snakes or something?"

"His great-grandfather, Isaac Malfoy, was a Parselmouth," Severus said calmly. "Ever since his days there has been a collection of snakes at the Malfoy Manor. Some of them have been there ever since Isaac's time -- you'd be surprised at how old some snakes can live, especially magical ones."

"Well, that's interesting," Remy said, smirking a bit. "What do you think, might Lucius be a Parselmouth, too?"

"I doubt that," Severus said. "If he were, he would have made sure that Voldemort knew about it. Although ordinary wizards may fear the stain of a Parselmouth, to a Death Eater it would be an honour unimaginable. No, I think he just looks after his great-grandfather's snakes, letting everybody _think_ that he is a Parselmouth as well."

"Apparently he's currently alone in the Manor," said Samantha, who had read the article further. "His wife is staying with a friend of hers for most of the summer, while his son is currently on a holiday trip with some friends of his own. Well, that many snakes should definitely be enough to keep him occupied."

"And if it isn't enough," Remy added with a smirk, "Hermione could always pay her uncle a visit. Hey, stop!" he then exclaimed amusedly as Samantha rather calmly began to hit his head with her small fist. "It was just a joke!" With his equally amused girlfriend chasing him, he ran out of the room.

Severus looked after them for a while. Then he shook his head in quiet amusement, picked up the fallen newspaper, and continued to read it.

* * *

"That's indecent, you know," Harry stated cheerfully as he walked into the sitting room, finding Samantha and Remy there. "Your parents would be shocked indeed if they saw you like that." 

The spotted skunk lifted his head for long enough to glare at the wizard, then let it down again. Neither he nor the golden bunny seemed to have any intention to move from their rather comfortable positions wrapped around each other. In fact, it seemed that Samantha was fast asleep, and even Remy seemed sleepy.

"Actually, it's not indecent," Hermione said from his side. "It might be, if they were naked and in human form, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I've often enough seen Sirius and Severus sleeping as a furry pile to know that they, at least, don't consider it indecent to appear like that in public."

"Shh, let me tease them," Harry smirked. "Aww, it seems Remy has fallen asleep, too. They do look cute, though, don't they?" He looked at the younger couple, smiling.

"That they do," Hermione said, smiling as well. "They're our little furry balls of cuteness."

Even in his sleep, Remy the skunk managed to huff at that comment.

* * *

"Has either of you seen Hermione?" asked a voice from behind Remy and Samantha. They looked up from their position sitting comfortably under a tree. 

"She was with us some time ago," Samantha replied. "However, she got a letter and wanted to read it before joining us outside. It was a while ago, so we were already wondering when she would come."

"A letter?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a letter?"

"Well, it had the Ministry seal," Remy said, "with black wax. I thought that seemed a bit odd, but --"

"What!" exclaimed Harry. Suddenly he turned extremely pale, apparently no blood left on his face. "But the Ministry -- they only use black seals when they tell of somebody's death!"

Remy froze. Then he chased after his cousin, heading inside to search for Hermione. He hurriedly told that Hermione had said something about going to the library, which was where Harry then ran.

They found her sitting in an armchair, the letter clutched in her hand, trembling violently. Big, fat tears ran down her cheeks as she stared unseeingly in front of her. When Harry reached her side, however, she apparently broke out of her daze, raising her eyes at him.

"Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed. "They are -- they are --" She started to sob weakly, unable to speak.

"Calm down, Hermione, love," Harry said softly, gently drawing her into his arms. He then sat down where she had been moments before, setting her in his lap. At the same time he gestured for Remy to take the letter that had fallen from the young witch's hand.

Remy took the letter and quickly read it. It was simple enough. Both of Hermione's parents had died in a car crash, and the Ministry had chosen to inform her about it. After reading it he gave it to Harry, who read it as well, holding it in one hand while the other was petting Hermione's hair comfortingly.

Samantha had caught up with them by now. Although she hadn't read the letter, one glance at Hermione told her that the situation was dire indeed. Walking closer, she carefully set a hand on that of her friend's, squeezing it gently. She didn't ask what had happened, though. Hermione didn't look like she was in any shape to tell.

Finally Hermione had calmed down enough to speak. "What'll I do now?" she asked quietly. "I'm still a minor; I won't turn seventeen until September. I don't have any living Muggle relatives aside from some distant ones I don't even know properly, and --" She trailed off, an expression of horror rising to her face. "Lucius," she whispered. "My closest living relative is Lucius Malfoy."

* * *

Despite the obvious concern of her friends, Hermione demanded to be left alone for some time. She needed time to think, she claimed, and locked the door into her room behind herself. At the moment, however, she could not think; instead, she collapsed on her bed, crying even more than she had before. 

She had no home to return to, she suddenly realized. All this time she had thought that she would return to her home before the summer break was over, surely, or perhaps during the Christmas break. After her graduation, that was for certain, before she went to wherever she would continue her studies. Only now, she couldn't. Her parents wouldn't be there; she would only be met by an empty house and memories.

She could stay at Hogwarts during the breaks, and the Snapes would surely let her stay for the summer. It didn't change the fact that she was now staying elsewhere out of necessity and not by choice. She couldn't go home if she changed her mind, couldn't send an owl to her parents to tell them that she was okay. No more would she have to prepare clever lies to hide whatever danger her life as a witch had led her into.

There was still the funeral, too. She would have to see her parents lowered into grave. How she was going to survive that, she didn't know. Harry would be there for her, she hoped, but still...

A small sound came from her side, and something landed onto the bed beside her. She opened her teary eyes to see Crookshanks sitting close, looking at her questioningly. Reaching out her arms, she hugged the cat close to herself. The animal suffered this treatment silently, apparently sensing her distress.

"Oh, Crookshanks," Hermione whispered, "what am I going to do without them? What am I going to do?"

The cat, however, offered her no answer aside from a twitch of his tail and another little 'meow'.

By the time she released him, his fur was soaked with tears. For now, though, he let it be.

* * *

Harry rested his head on his large paws, giving Hermione a serious glance. She firmly refused to talk about her feelings, but seemed to still accept his silent company. Curled up by her feet, he kept an eye on her, ready to immediately spring to her comfort if it seemed that she needed him. Oh, she could have all the alone time she needed, but if she thought her friends were going to desert her in her grief, she had another thing coming. 

For a couple of days now Hermione had been merely waiting for the funeral. A friend of her mother's had contacted her, telling her the time and place, requesting her to be present. She hadn't given an answer -- there was no phone in the house, and she couldn't really send an owl to a Muggle -- but she was going to go. Harry was determined to accompany her. It would be simple enough; he could Apparate her there and back, being an adult, and be there for her all the time.

He did wonder, though, how he would react in a similar situation. Arthur and Molly were now more friends than parents to him, and although losing them would have hurt, it wouldn't have been the same thing. James had been dead for a long time now, and Remus... Remus was hanging between life and death, although Madam Pomfrey was not yet ready to give up hope. If he did die, Harry would be very upset, but at least he'd had time to get used to the thought. Hermione had got no forewarning, no suspicions, nothing. Just a sudden shock and grief.

With a low grumble that in a cat might have been interpreted as a purr, he rubbed his head against her leg. She absentmindedly reached a hand to pet his head. He smelled the salt of tears on her.

Hermione. His poor little Hermione, who was now an orphan.

She wouldn't be alone, though. He would take care of her.

No matter what, he would take care of her.

* * *

"Those fucking..." 

Several heads were raised, startled, as these words echoed through the room. They had all recognized the voice as Severus', and they were definitely not used to hearing Severus swear. In fact, it was quite unthinkable. If he had resorted to such language, something very serious must have happened.

"What is it, Severus?" Sirius asked, looking at his husband. Severus was holding a letter, one he was glaring at quite angrily. "Bad news?"

"You could say that," muttered the Slytherin. "It is from the Malfoys. They have heard of the Grangers' death, and are now demanding the custody of Hermione!"

Hermione paled. She had only just recovered from the funeral. And, although nobody had dared to mention it, she had feared this news, like all the others. It was only logical that her closest relatives would demand custody. After all, she was still a minor.

Too bad her closest living relatives were Death Eaters.

"They have every right to do that," she said quietly. "All my Muggle relations are distant, and the Ministry would rather give custody to Wizarding folk than to Muggles."

"They have every right to do so, true," sighed Remy. "However, we all know that if you indeed go to the Malfoy Manor, you won't come out unless you're dead or married to some Pureblood Slytherin wife-beater to keep you in line. The Malfoys were quite upset when you took your inheritance; this is the perfect occasion for them to take it back."

"You wouldn't die, that's not Lucius' style," Severus said. "However, the latter scenario is all too likely. I wouldn't put it past Lucius to cast an Imperio on you to force you to marry some suitable young Pureblood wizard. Your father may have been a Muggle, but you are powerful, intelligent, and half Malfoy. Few Pureblood families would protest to having you as a daughter-in-law."

"Isn't there any way out of it?" Samantha asked quietly. "Any way at all?"

Severus, however, shook his head. "I'm afraid no," he said. "We can try to play time, but I doubt we'll get out of this. If we try to hide Hermione, we might even be arrested."

Silence fell into the room.

* * *

Harry lay awake late that night, holding Hermione in his arms. Usually Severus and Sirius made sure to keep them in separate bedrooms, but that night they hadn't bothered to do so. Perhaps they intended to give them what little time together they could have before the Malfoys managed to get heir claim through with the Ministry. 

He hated thinking that the Malfoys held that much power over the one he loved. True, Hermione would turn seventeen in September, and after that nobody else would have a say in her life. However, there was a lot of damage the Malfoys could do before that.

A plan, however, was starting to take form in Harry's head. It still had a lot of flaws and uncertainties, but with enough work, it might be useful. He definitely hoped it would work, at least.

At the moment, though, he could do little else but hold Hermione.

* * *

The letter came the following morning, surprising them all. It was closed with the Malfoy seal, and Hermione almost refused to read it, but finally she did open it. After reading it, she seemed quite stunned. 

Remy was the first one to react as she reached out the letter, snatching it from her hand. Glancing at the lines of fine, thin handwriting, he read it aloud. The contents shocked them all.

"_Dear Miss Granger,_" the letter started,

"_It has shocked me to hear of the unfortunate demise of your parents. As you probably know, my family, the Malfoys, have demanded the custody -- with rather ill intentions, I fear. However, I assure you that I bear no ill will towards you and would indeed be upset should you be forced to go along with whatever plans have been prepared for you._

_I cannot reveal to you who I am, in fear the other two might somehow intercept this owl. However, I do believe I may be able to postpone the action of custody at least until the beginning of the school year. By that time, I hope, you may have managed to form a plan to avoid it altogether._

_With best regards,_

_A Malfoy._"

They were first disbelieving, not about to accept this as a truth. However, it had prepared them enough that they were only surprised, not overly shocked, when a letter of somewhat similar content reached them that afternoon. The handwriting and the exact wording were different, but the basic message was the same: There was someone -- or, rather, someones -- inside the Malfoy family who wished to help Hermione.

And, when a couple of days later they received yet another letter from the Ministry, informing them that the Malfoys had chosen not to pursue their claim for custody until the beginning of September, they were only mildly surprised.

* * *

**A/N:** No correct guesses this far, I'm afraid.

Three of the following will NOT happen during this story:  
Samantha starts weakening  
Remy ensures Samantha will not die of her illness  
Samantha is told she only has a year left at best  
Sirius sings a love song to Severus in the middle of the Great Hall  
Remus is declared a lost case  
Neville is in love with a basilisk  
A cactus with a flower-patterned sombrero returns to Hogwarts  
Hermione gets married  
Sirius pulls a prank  
Weasley tries to sabotage Remy's potion  
A group of commando sheep appears on the roof of Hogwarts  
Remy and Samantha's first time  
Hermione completes her Animagus transformation on a very inappropriate moment  
Severus faces his worst fear  
Voldemort is not dead  
Remus wakes up  
Samantha dies  
Remy gets a little sister  
Remy gets a little brother  
Hermione skips a lesson  
The Student-Eating Horrid Monster of Ravenclaw Tower makes a comeback  
_ Severus becomes a Potter again_  
Carnivorous squirrels cause problems at Hogwarts  
Samantha faints in class  
Lucius Malfoy isn't really evil  
Narcissa Malfoy isn't really evil  
Draco Malfoy isn't really evil  
Severus almost dies in a Potions accident


End file.
